Deputy District Attorney Bill Mitchell objected to the proposed changes in Tieray Jones’ defense team, saying the move would unnecessarily impact the government’s right to a speedy trial.

But Superior Court Judge Kathleen Lewis relieved defense attorneys Alex Ozols and Vik Monder and appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Jones when the defendant said that’s what he wanted.

Jahi Turner as envisioned at age 14. Image via 411gina.org

The 38-year-old defendant was arrested in North Carolina in April and brought back to San Diego to face charges. Trial is currently set for April 3.

Authorities said Jahi was a healthy 26-month-old child when he moved to San Diego in 2002 with his mother, who was serving in the Navy, and Jones. The defendant told police that the child disappeared from a park at the southern end of Balboa Park on April 25, 2002.

Deputy District Attorney Nicole Rooney said the toddler was last seen three days earlier at the Golden Hill apartment complex where the family lived.

The child’s mother, Tameka Jones, had gone out to sea and left Jahi with the defendant, according to evidence at the five-day preliminary hearing.

Jones wrote in a journal that Jahi was acting “really funny” and lethargic the day after she left, Rooney said.